On the Pulse: Silly Symphonies 
A selection of musical short films produced by Walt Disney in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The Silly Symphony shorts were originally intended as whimsical accompaniments to pieces of music but ended up playing an important historical role in technical innovations including in Technicolor.
There were 75 shorts produced in total in the series; here we have selected 6 of the very best, including The Wise Little Hen that introduced Donald Duck to audiences for the first time.
The Skeleton Dance | Dir: Walt Disney | 1929 | 6 min | English
A lively quartet of graveyard skeletons come out to play and dance the night away set to the macabre music of Edvard Grieg (adapted by Carl Stalling). The inventive animation uses plenty of graveyard gags involving animals and a skeletal xylophone.
The Ugly Duckling | Dir: Jack Cutting | 1939 | 9 min | English
A baby duckling is shunned by his family because he is different. He is also rejected by all the other birds and animals. Finally, a mother swan adopts him as one of her own.
The Tortoise and the Hare | Dir: Wildfred Jackson | 1935 | 9 min | English
It’s the big race! Hare, fast and in the lead, stops to loaf and show off. Tortoise, plodding along at a steady, slow pace, wins the day! Winner of a 1935 Academy Award.
The Old Mill | Dir: Wildfred Jackson | 1937 | 9 min | English
Night in an old mill is dramatically depicted in this Oscar-winning short in which the frightened occupants, including birds, timid mice, owls, and other creatures try to stay safe and dry as the storm approaches.
The Wise Little Hen | Dir: Wildred Jackson | 1934 | 8 min | English
The Little Hen is planting corn and would like help from Peter Pig and Donald Duck, but they refuse! When it comes time to harvest the corn, Peter and Donald still refuse to help! Finally, the hen cooks the corn and offers some to Peter and Donald, but when they look more carefully they discover a surprise.
Elmer Elephant | Dir: Wildred Jackson | 1936 | 9 min | English
A little elephant is ashamed of his trunk until he saves his tiger girlfriend by using it as a fire hose when her house catches fire.
Cinemagic ‘On the Pulse’, is an exciting month-long programme of screenings, film education events, talks and workshops on the short film genre and short form storytelling. We have programmed a season of the very best international short films, classic heritage shorts and cartoons, as well as showcasing short films made by local young filmmakers.
Cinemagic 'On the Pulse' is funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen.
